


The South Bowl Double

by Seralyn



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: F/M, Skiing, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:55:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seralyn/pseuds/Seralyn
Summary: When Anthony invited Edwina, his girlfriend, to a ski holiday he did not expect that her elder sister would have to accompany them.His opinion of the Ms. Kate Sharma is not a positive one. Mainly due to her staunch disapproval. An ill-fated journey atop an ancient chairlift is a catalyst for Anthony and Kate. And neither is quite prepared for its aftermath.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield
Comments: 9
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

The South Bowl Double chairlift was infamous. An out of date non-express lift that boasted a thirty minute agonizingly slow journey to the peak. Colin was notorious for taking naps on the lift having to be jarred awake by whoever was unfortunate enough to spend a thirty minute ride in silence.  
Since the gondola opened alongside it, the Bridgertons usually opted for that mode of transportation allowing themselves a reprieve from the elements and a much quicker mode of travel. It had been his girlfriend who had suggested they take the lift. She had never skied at Mont les Pitons Anciens and had heard of the legends surrounding the lift. Anthony would not admit it aloud, but he suspected she was also looking for a break. Despite her assurances, Edwina was an intermediate skier at best and not prepared for the speed and the adventurous manner of skiing that the Bridgertons were used to. It was her menace of a sister who was racing Colin and Benedict, and dusting him with snow every chance she got. Anthony had long ago started to regret inviting her along on the holiday.  
The line was near empty when they approached. Most people were not mad enough to willingly choose the South Bowl Double, so they advanced in a whirlwind. Due to its nature of whipping around on the loading zone, Anthony hung back watching as Gregory and Hyacinth scrambled forward. Both were insistent that they not ask the lift operators to slow down the chair and now that Hyacinth’s arms were long enough to reach the safety bar, she insisted she could ride without any of her older siblings. This did not stop him from worrying. They were all of thirteen and eleven.  
In the haste of the line, Anthony did not realize that all had paired up. Hyacinth and Gregory first, followed by Benedict and Colin, Francesca and her boyfriend John, Daphne and Simon and Eloise and Edwina. Wait. Eloise and Edwina? Anthony opened his mouth to shout at Eloise but the pair were inching towards the red line that read “load here”. Too late. It left his companion to be Kate.  
“I can go by myself,” Kate said immediately.  
“This chair is too sluggish for us to allow single rides up. Come on,”  
He could not see her lower face or eyes due to the neckie and tinted goggles she wore but he could swear she was scowling. The chair offered little room and there was no way for them to sit without their shoulders touching.  
“Ready for the bar?”  
Instead of responding Kate reached up and tugged the bar down. She shifted so that her ancient pair of Rossignol skis rested on the foot rest. They were narrow and skinny, more of a style that would have been in vogue in the nineties. He suspected they were hammy downs from a parent and was irrationally upset about how much longer they extended then his solomon’s. She was stiff next to him.  
The chair creaked along. Past the first three stations without a word expressed between them. Anthony spent the time watching skiers and snowboarders race down the mountain or at the chairs in front of him containing his siblings. Colin was slumped against the bar, no doubt in deep slumber. Benedict’s arm was outstretched in the midst of taking a selfie. Anthony’s phone vibrated and he was greeted by a picture of his brothers, Benedict giving bunny ears behind Colin’s slumped head. Benedict had also drawn on a mustache and a French beret. Hyacinth and Gregory were turned to each other playing rock,paper, scissors. From the looks of it Hyacinth was triumphant. He suspected that Gregor would wish for a different chair partner by the end of Edwina and Eloise appeared to be in deep discussion and to his abject horror, Francesca and Michael were snogging. It took a few moments longer than he wished to jerk his head away from the horrendous scene. He should have put his foot down when mother allowed Francesca to invite her boyfriend and should have muzzled Eloise when she interrupted to say you’re bringing your girlfriend. Violet had hmmphed in agreement and despite him bringing forth that he was an adult, his objections fell on deaf ears.  
“You’re a decent skier,” Anthony said quietly.  
“Did you assume I would not be?” She huffed shifting slightly, “because I skied on smaller mountains in the northeast, did you expect that I wouldn’t be able to ski on a mountain such as this?”  
Incredible. He had complimented her and she had viewed it as an insult. Edwina had gushed to him about how their family had owned a condo at St. Marks, a very small mountain in comparison to Mont les Pitons Anciens, but he had skied there once or twice and St. Marks boasted difficult steep terrain.  
“No!” Anthony cried, “I just...not many can keep with the Bridgertons,”  
That also was the wrong thing to say.  
“All of the Bridgertons or just you?”  
The Bridgertons had enjoyed many holidays at Mont les Pitons Anciens. They had an estate on the lower base of the mountain and each child had been on skis since the age of three. Edmund had insisted upon it. They were practically a ski school group on their own. Violet leading trailed by her children following behind in s turns and Edmund taking up the rear looking for any stragglers, lost children or lost skis or poles. When he died, Anthony took his place as the caboose, and it had become a habit of his to hang behind when skiing. On this trip, he had not yet truly skied, hanging in the back to watch and to keep Edwina company. His girlfriend was getting inside of her head allowing the rating of the trail to scare her and resorting to plowing and to take excessive amounts of turns. Kate, on the other hand, was in front, barreling down the mountain with Colin and Eloise.  
“All of us,” he said, “most of us enjoy going very fast,”  
All except for Francesca. An incident the year before in Italy where she came upon an unsuspecting mound of snow and became airborne had scared her into being more cautious. Still speedy but cautious despite all of Eloise’s teasing or Daphne’s gentle reminders that she was more than capable.  
“I’d like to see how fast you could go,” Kate said.  
“Are you challenging me to a race?” he said.  
At the same time Kate pondered, “I think you’re more talk. You take security in hanging in the back,”  
“Excuse me,” Anthony cried, “I am in the back so neither of us lose a sibling!”  
Kate shook her head, “your siblings know the mountain in their sleep. Even the little ones. They also can recite to you the plan if they get lost,” She coughed and then her voice became deeper in a weak attempt of his voice, “and if you get lost...head to John Harvard’s restaurant and stand in front of the bear statue and stand eastward,”  
“I do not sound like that!” he hated the whininess of his own voice. But being imitated was one of his pet peeves, not that she’d know that. His siblings had taken to imitating him. Eloise was particularly good. He was not supposed to know about those antics, but he had left work early one afternoon intent on finding his siblings. Their boisterous voices echoed and all of them were mocking him. And the others were snickering and laughing. Was he a smidge neurotic? Perhaps. Was he a bit overprotective? Maybe. But he was trying his best. For some morbid reason or perhaps out of self-desperation, he remained obscured in the hallway listening to the insults to his person. Each a knife.  
“And we stop for Edwina at each intersection or merging of trails. So she will not get lost,” Kate continued ignoring his objection, “and she is probably hoping to cease skiing soon,”  
“But it is not even noon yet,”  
Her proud stiff posture melted then, “Edwina is not the most prolific skier. She enjoys it. When it's warm and groomed and she prefers blues than diamonds,”  
Save for Siena, all of his girlfriends had skied, and had enjoyed the sport. The tidbit that Edwina did not was deflating.He imagined himself and his wife doing the same as his parents. Well, until he passed then he suspected his wife to continue visiting Mont les Pitons Anciens and allowing their children to grow into expert skiers or snowboarders. He was not opposed to the alternative sport but they had to ski first.  
“So race?” Kate countered her spirit returning.  
“Fine,” He bit out, “and as it is my home territory, I shall allow you your choice of trail,”  
“Excellent!” She thrust her poles into his chest. His immediate reaction was to grasp them and then rub at his chest. Kate was digging through her pockets taking out chapsticks, and headphones, before finding her map. She held out the end of the map, shaking it. He shifted both of his poles to his right hand and held the other end with the left. She began to discuss in detail the conditions of trails, the steepness and the relative crowds.  
Instead of truly listening to her words, he instead was watching her. She had hoisted her goggles to rest on the top of her helmet and her dark eyes were alight with joy. Her ungloved fingers jabbed at trails and different routes they could take to get to the trail. When he remembered himself he put his input and opinion. The Bridgertons enjoyed a good race every now and then. One person would ski ahead and act as the finish line and the judge. Their opinion was absolute but oftentimes it was disputed and races were held once again. They had decided upon Sundance, an intermediate trail that was large and had rolling hills.  
“Oh shit we’re almost at unloading,” Kate began to rush then, hastily folding the map into a misshapen shape and shoving it back into her pocket. Her antics made him chuckle, “don’t laugh at me. I’m going to kick your ass,”  
“Sure you are,”  
The chair emitted a loud unfortunate creaking sound. And the lift if possible slowed and then came to a screeching halt. Eloise and Edwina were close enough to the unloading station that they hopped off and skated to the ramp. Anthony and Kate were not as fortunate stuck between the last station pole and the unloading station.  
“Oh fuck,” Anthony uttered and Kate whirled to face him her eyes asking, “this chair is notorious for its stoppings,”  
Kate frowned, “well that’s too be expected, it's an old lift servicing beginners,”  
“Except when it stops it’s sometimes known to become stuck,”  
A/N: I love Kate and Anthony. I went skiing last week and this was dreamed up.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m famished,” Colin announced to no one in particular. In the thirty or so minutes since the chairlift had stopped spinning, the Bridgertons and company not on the lift had been waiting, some more patiently than others. Hyacinth and Gregory had foregone their skis and were engaged in throwing snowballs at one another. Many of the others were checking their phones and taking selfies of Anthony and Kate who were unfortunately stuck on the lift.  
“That’s it,” Eloise stated, marching towards the terminal where the lift operator was loudly yelling on the phone.  
Anthony watched as Eloise began to stalk towards the lift operator. She was instantly recognizable due to her neon colors and 80s retro jumpsuit. He thought she looked a bit ridiculous but at the moment she was the only sibling doing something so he was feeling amiable towards the neon.  
“Poor fellow,” Anthony said, wincing as Eloise began to yell at him.  
She emerged from the lift tower and came to stand underneath the lift. She began to wave her  
hands frantically. Cupping her hands she began to shout, “he said that it’s going to be a while!”  
“How long is a while?!” Anthony yelled back. When Eloise shrugged, he yelled again, “ELOISE!”  
“Hey don’t shoot the messenger! He said that they’re not sure how long it’ll be!”  
“Not sure?” he roared. How could they not be sure? He had half a mind to call down to the lodge to issue a formal complaint against mountain operations but the swarmy expression on Kate’s face halted him from reaching for his phone. He raised an eyebrow at her but she held up her hands in defense. The assembled Bridgertons had come to ski beneath their stranded lift. Benedict carried Eloise’s rainbow skis.  
“Ant!” he shouted up, “I think we’re going to head to the base,”  
“And leave us here?”  
Benedict shrugged helplessly as he laid out Eloise’s skis, “we cannot do anything to assist you!”  
“Anthony we can try to talk to the people at the bottom and inquire as to when we can expect the lift to be running again!” Daphne said a hint of sympathy present in her voice.  
“Kate?” Edwina called, “Will you be okay?”  
No, was on Kate’s lips, but manners had been instilled in her by her stepmother and they were too hard to ignore. She spared one glance at Anthony. He was insufferable but at least he bathed and was not some sort of criminal. There were worse people she could be stuck on a chairlift with.  
“Do you wish for me to stay?” Edwina asked.  
“No go on Ed,”  
The stranded pair watched as they skied away. In their absence, Colin was leading and Gregory was the caboose. Once the last of their forms were not visible, Kate released the breath she did not realize she was holding in. She spared a look at her companion. Anthony Bridgerton was famous for being head of the illustrious Bridgerton family and head of the company. Since childhood the Sharmas had been besieged by their advertisements on televisions and on bridges. He was infamous for his playboy ways. The social events columnist for The Star, Lady W could not resist writing of all of his escapades. Kate had read each entry wondering how any woman could be so hapless as to fall into his bed knowing his reputation. She never suspected her sister would be bewitched.  
“That is the third time you have huffed since they left,” Anthony said startling her. His dark eyes peered over a navy blue ski mask. There was something unnerving about the intensity of his stare. And she shifted pretending to be interested in the safety bar, “anything in particular troubling you?”  
“You mean aside from being stuck on lift with the heart-breaking Bridgerton himself?”  
Anthony snorted, “you’re a fan of Lady W then?”  
She did not like the sneer in his tone and folded her arms across her chest. She leaned against the back of the chair as far from him as she could manage. “She is a respected-  
“She is nothing but a gossipmonger!” He proclaimed, “she garners her viewership by slandering her subjects. It is no wonder that she has not been sued for libel,”  
“I’m surprised you haven’t sued her for libel,”  
The twitch of his nose told her that this was not a new thought to him.  
“Does Edwina subscribe to such nonsense?”  
“Yes she does,” Kate said enjoying his state of panic, “she also subscribes to astrology, birth charts and most horrendously philosophy,”  
***  
Violet Bridgerton had not expected any of her brood and their guests to be home. Once a valiant skier, bad knees and frigid weather, had her seeking out the local spa and the shops. So she was quite surprised when she heard someone’s airy voice filtering through the hallways. Immediately she knew it was not one of her children and between carrying up the bags and the earmuffs, she did not hear the subtle nuances that it was a flirtatious and presumably private conversation. Spread out on her mauve chaise was Edwina Sheffield who upon realizing she was alone sprung upward and tossed her phone in quick movements, flushed positively red and shrieked out, “MRS. BRIDGERTON!”  
With eight children she had practice with accidentally walking in at the wrong moment. Whether it was sons engaged with playboys or daughters changing, she had witnessed all of it. She had learned it was best to ignore than to acknowledge. Violet shuffled over to the counter and heaved up her bags. She took time to dramatically remove her fuzzy earmuffs and rubbed at her ears.  
“Hello Edwina!” she said, “did you say something? Colin gifted these to me last Christmas and I do not want to break his heart but I cannot hear a bloody thing in them. I’m half-tempted to toss them in the fire,” Normal color was returning to Edwina’s cheeks and she was smiling softly.  
Violet had met her once before this trip. She seemed to be a kind girl, soft-spoken and young. She was a first year grad student and an adult by all means, but beside Anthony, she seemed a child. She was a year older than Eloise but yet there was a youthfulness to her not present in her second daughter. Shuddering and without meaning too, she thought of Edmund and of how Eloise was alone with him when he died. A part of her and her childhood surely vanished in that moment. She would not besiege Edwina for not experiencing that hardship and would not wish it upon anyone else, it was a life experience that had shaped Anthony and she had imagined his partner as his equal. Hardened if you will.  
“No I-I didn’t,” Edwina tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, “I was about to make myself some hot chocolate. Would you like some?”  
“That would be lovely dear. Are the others still on the mountain?”  
Over the faucet Edwina confirmed that the rest were still on the mountain. As the hot chocolate warmed, Violet busied herself with unloading the dishwasher that desperately needed to be reloaded. Her children accustomed to maids were pigs sometimes. She was conjuring up the lecture she’d deliver upon their return when she noticed the old double not moving. She herself had gotten stuck once upon the ancient monstrosity once. It was on her second date with Edmund who kept apologizing profusely for the predicament and then began to engage her in an endearing perverted round of “would you rather?” that made her certain he was the one. He, despite the frigid temperatures and the falling snow, made her forget all about it. A man capable of such feats was one worthy.The thought made her clutch her hands over her chest. The motion not lost upon Edwina whose face scrunched up in concern.  
“I’m fine dear. I just noticed the old double was stopped again,”  
“It’s still stuck?” Edwina spun around and then groaned, “poor Kate,”  
“Kate is on it?”  
“And Anthony. They were the only ones who did not make it off before it stopped,”  
Violet instantly began a prayer to get the lift moving once more. Somehow she doubted the pair were falling in love while participating in the world’s strangest game of “would you rather?”. Her eldest son would deny it but he was an impatient man. Not in the same vein as Eloise, but impatient nonetheless.  
***  
“Hasn’t anyone told you not to believe everything you read on the internet?” Anthony was beginning to consider jumping from the lift. Surely, they were not at the apex of the lift anymore as the lift had been approaching the terminal, and the drop must not be fatal. Bone breaking and intense pain inducing yes but not terminal.  
The menace was shaking her head at him, “yes I’ve graduated with a degree. I know to fact check resources,”  
“Fact check?! How can you possibly fact check Lady W?”  
The shifty writer never cited her sources.  
“She posts pictures and you’re not exactly anonymous,”  
“You are,”  
Anyone close to Kate could attest that she much enjoyed arguing. She had been a natural on the debate team and she was enjoying this debate until this comment. He could not know why his words had wounded her but they lodged into her chest with an acuteness she could not ignore. The thoughts of the lack of things she had done had haunted her, keeping her from slumber at night. She had graduated magna cum laude and was now a fifth grade teacher as she had always dreamed to be. Her focus in university had been school and now she felt as if she did not do enough. Certainly not enough to earn a mention from Lady W.  
“There is scant a thing online about you,”  
“My Mr. Bridgerton have you been stalking me?”  
“I take offense at that accusation. I was simply researching. Edwina talks obsessively about you and…,” he trailed off, “no social media profiles only website I could find was your linked in and your Merit page,” and then he added on, “an article about you playing in marching band,”  
She felt hot underneath her layers. It had been years since she’d been forced to endure marching band. The sweaty itchy uniforms, the Saturday afternoon practices. She had forced her stepmother to take down all photos off Facebook and had untagged herself in all of the school published ones.  
“That is stalking!” she cried out pointing an accusatory finger into his chest, “those photos are so hard to find! Believe me!”  
The damned man began to laugh, “you have not seen Francesca at work. I should think she could work for MI6,”

**“D** o you think they’ve murdered each other?” Colin asked peering out of the tainted glass of the gondola. He was sharing the cabin with his brothers, Simon and Michael. None of them had been oblivious to the animosity shared between Kate and Anthony. From the moment she arrived they had butted heads. Colin for one had great affection for anyone who could rile Anthony up so. In his humble opinion his eldest brother tended to have a stick up his ass and someone, namely Kate, seemed able to yank it out. He cringed at the analogy. His humor was strange. 

“I’m certain we would have witnessed some sort of commotion if they had,” Benedict supplied unhelpfully. For an artist, his imagination could be so dull sometimes. It seemed he could only be imaginative on canvas and Colin shifted so that he could peer at the sketch Benedict was crafting. Said older brother clutched the pad to his chest. He was the most secretive artist Colin knew.

“It’s been nearly an hour,” Simon was glaring at his apple watch, “you’d think they’d get them unstuck by now,”

“Mother told me once that she and father were stuck on the lift for two hours before they evacuated,” Benedict said, “father told me that was where he was certain he was in love with her,” All of the Bridgertons were of the same mind that their parents shared an epic love story. Gregory who could not remember his father became alert then asking questions about the encounter he’d never been told, “at the top of the lift. Father pretended to fall. Spectacularly or so he claimed. A ski even popped off. As mother skied down to help him he proposed,” Wistfully Benedict added, “I think mother might be the reason why that lift hasn’t been replaced. It would not surprise me in the slightest if was making donations to its upkeep or trying to turn it into some historical site,”

Gregory who was still young enough to be repulsed by the thought of love made an exaggerated vomiting noise. The gesture drew chuckles from his elders. 

Francesa, arguably one of the more even tempered Bridgerton children skied to the chair that held Anthony and Kate. To their amusement, all could hear their shouting from afar. In her sweetest kindest shout she drew their attention receiving a simultaneous “what?!” in response.

“Just wanted to see if you were okay?”

“Okay?” Kate repeated, “nothing about being suspended up here with your oaf of a brother is okay!”

Oaf was a novel insult. But Anthony was mature enough not to namecall back and instead began to inquire as to the status of lift operations. Francesca could only provide the disappointing “they’re working on it”. And ever the optimist Fran added in,  _ “at least there’s no wind and it isn’t snowing!” _ .He must have glared at her for she suddenly took off after Eloise. If he was to be stuck why couldn’t it have been with Benedict or Colin or Gregory or Hyacinth or literally anyone else?”

Eloise had stopped at the intersection of  _ Ace of Spades  _ and  _ Jack Frost _ . Though most of her face was obscured by her brilliantly colored goggles, Francesca knew her sister well enough to know that she was plotting something evil. There was mischievousness to that lopsided grin. More alarming was that the others had skied on meaning Eloise had forced them to go.

“El,” Fran said warningly.

“What?” Her voice was the epitome of innocence. Eloise broke under her stare. Fran had been told by many of her siblings that it looked exactly like their mother’s  _ don’t you dare  _ glare, “Mama and Papa fell in love on that very lift!”

Francesca had never thought her cynical sister to be a romantic at heart. She was gushing over the coincidence. “Eloise he’s with Edwina!”

“Edwina is a child,”

“She’s older than you!”

“You heard them bickering. There was more passion in that than in any conversation or action I’ve seen between Edwina and Anthony,”

Though Francesca agreed she knew better than to encourage Eloise.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for the kudos and the kind words!  
> For those not familiar with skiing/snowboarding, here is a video of a double chair lift that poor Anthony and Kate are currently stuck upon.  
> Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO4sDumbBDw&t=73s


	3. Chapter 3

Benedict was not sure whether to be pleased or concerned that Eloise had manipulated it so that the pair were alone on the quad express. Hyacinth looked quite affronted at being abandoned again with Gregory as her sole company. Eloise would for certain be hearing of such betrayal when they disembarked.   
“Eloise,” he said in the manner that annoyed her by annunciating the syllables in her name. The manner usually annoyed her enough to drop all pretenses and this was an incident where it proved true. She began, at mighty speed, talking of Anthony and of Kate and of Edwina and of love. Her tone adopting a wistfulness.   
“Pray tell dear sister what do you know of love or relationships?” For his remark he was rewarded with a pole to the shoulder.   
“I know enough!”   
Benedict rubbing at his shoulder was extremely curious. His favorite sister was fiercely independent, stubborn and intelligent. She spoke, at length, of the patriarchy and of how foolish love was in their modern day society. But not even she could hide her longful glances at happy couples.   
“Eloise Bridgerton, who is the lucky fellow or lady?” He was not one to judge having preferences for both.   
“There is no lucky fellow, not anymore,” she said darkly playing with the fringed ends of her gloves.   
The answer alleviated him of all levity and suddenly he felt the need to pummel whoever had hurt Eloise. He did not like the way she was slumping into the chair or the way she was not meeting his eyes. This had to have been her first relationship. One she managed to keep hidden from all of the rest of the Bridgertons. For certain if any of them knew it would lead to teasing and Anthony would have insisted that the gentleman be invited to dinner where he would be sat between them to be interrogated. As Simon and Michael had to endure and the others.   
“Do-  
“No! I do not wish to speak of Ph-  
“Ph? Is his name Phillip? Or Phelix or Pheland? Or Phelin? Or Phillippe? Or Phris?” He was being ridiculous but the smile he was getting from her was worth it. He had realized that though Eloise spoke a lot and had a whole bunch of opinions there was very little she revealed about herself. The revelations he reasoned must be contained in the diary she was always scribbling in. The one she denied having and the one she’d slam shut and hide if anyone came across her writing in it. He suspected the relationship and all of its dirty details were there.   
“I do not think Anthony and Edwina suit at all,”  
“We cannot meddle,”  
“Since when? Anthony was rifling around Dad’s study for the ancient pistols to duel Simon,”  
Having been witness to it all Benedict could not deny that the Bridgertons in all of their good intentions, they were meddlesome. Knowing he’d regret it he groaned out asking for the details of her plan.  
***  
“I think Francesca cursed us,” In the moments since the sixth Bridgerton child had left the winds had increased significantly and snow had begun to fall in earnest. Anthony was trying mightily not to shiver.  
“I think you’re being a tad overdramatic,” The change in weather seemed to have no effect on her, the Ice Queen, she was. She was frostier than Edwina had ever described and especially creative in insulting him and all of the reasons why he was not right for her baby sister. Most of them were digs at his age, which thirty-three was not that old, and regarding his best behaviors.   
“How about you then? Who are you Katharine Sharma?”  
The question seemed to unsettle her, for she fidgeted once more on the lift, “I am Edwina’s older sister-  
“Bah something other than that! I am the elder brother of seven people and that would not be my first description of myself,”  
“I am a fifth grade teacher and I am from the countryside,”  
All were facts he had already known. She seemed so satisfied with her meager information. “What’s your favorite color?”  
“Blue,”  
“What hue of blue?”  
“What hue?”  
“Sky blue, turquoise, aquamarine, cerulean, navy, royal blue,” he was vastly running out of descriptions of the color blue. He could not explain why but he wanted to know what specific shade of blue she liked the best . Maybe he was going stir crazy from being trapped. She tapped her pole on the safety bar deep in thought.  
Her answer surprised him, “I do not know how to describe the shade but I think the blue of the ocean just after a storm where it has not yet returned to its previous state, and you? What precise hue do you like of your favorite color?”  
“Green of the evergreens,” he jerked a pole in the direction of the snow covered evergreens that surrounded them. Thus began their interrogation.  
***  
“It is still stuck!” Violet said to Edwina who was on her fourth cup of hot chocolate, “I’m going to call. Poor Kate and Anthony must be freezing up there!”  
Finding the phone line busy, Violet absolved herself to marching up to the base and making her complaints in person. She tugged on the fuzzy earmuffs, her fuzzy snowboots and her warmest coat before trekking into the beginnings of what might be a blizzard. Near the main lodge she nearly toppled into Colin, who upon seeing her, pried his phone from his ear and abruptly ended the call. Whoever was on the line was female and she could hear them for a moment call out Colin’s name.  
“Mum! What are you doing?”  
What was with today and interrupting private moments? She stared up at him. All of her children towered over her. Even Gregory. It made appearing intimidating all the harder.   
“I’m going to rescue your brother,”  
“Oh right,”  
“You forgot your brother was stuck?”   
Colin had the grace to appear sheepish. He mumbled a weak no and then immediately perked up, “Eloise meant to ask you. Is it okay if Penelope joins?”   
“Penelope is always welcome,”  
Penelope Featherington, without Violet ever meaning too, had become her pseudo ninth child. The poor girl had an even poorer excuse for a mother and Violet felt for her. She was Eloise’s dearest friend. The pair are rarely seen without each other. But the monstrous grin appearing on Colin’s face struck her as odd. He amended it, forcing it into a respectable smile, but there was a brilliant light in his eyes. And suddenly she knew it was not Eloise who had invited Penelope but Colin. She felt gleeful at the idea of them together.   
“I’m going to grab a bite from the cafe! Good luck to you Mum,”  
And he ambled off a grandiose smile on his face. Violet felt elated at the thought of them together. Penelope had loved Colin for years. All of the Bridgertons save for Colin knew about it. And though she did not subscribe to betting on her own children, she was of sound knowledge that there was a bet on how long it would take Colin to figure out that Penelope liked him. It looked as if Anthony would win. He hardly won any of their bets.   
***  
The sight of ski patrol approaching their lift was not a welcoming one. Their crimson vibrant against the graying skies, they assembled in a mass. Kate seemed not to notice their arrival was arguing over his last answer to his inquiry. He coughed pointing towards the mass of redcoats below them. One appeared ready to address them. The burly patroller began to inquire as to their status; any injuries? Any conditions? And then he began to explain that they were to be evacuated from the lift. At the end of his speech, Anthony cried out, “thank goodness,” and then he saw Kate’s petrified face.  
“Hey it’s going to be okay,” he told her, holding onto her upper arm in what he hoped to be a comforting gesture but fear had seized her. He doubted she heard him at all or felt his touch on her arm, “my parents had to be evacuated in the same manner. My mum-,” If anyone could offer comfort it would be Violet Bridgerton. She could explain the concept to Kate. When she didn’t answer he uttered, “bloody hell,” and to Kate he soothed, “it really isn’t that far down and they’re professionals,”  
Fear and adrenaline were equally potent drugs. And something about this procedure had Kate gripped in fear. The idea of repelling down a lift on a rope seat was not the most comforting but surely it could not be the height that frightened her. What could possibly be scaring her into silence?  
Violet Bridgerton had forgotten her phone. She was always leaving it somewhere and her children never forgot to remind her about that fallacy. From Daphne who heard from Edwina who answered her forgotten device, she had learned that they had begun lift evacuations and Kate was afraid. Anthony had called her multiple times. Something he never did. She had on Daphne’s boots, too large, and had strapped on Daphne’s too large skis and with some trepidation was approaching the lift. She arrived in time to watch as Anthony and Kate were lowered to the ground. Kate was wrapped in his arms, all safety netting around her, and her head tucked into his chest. From above she heard Anthony counting off the meters to the floor and the ski patrollers cursing him for not listening.  
“Sir that was an extremely foolish thing to do! It is meant to be done one-  
“One moment,” Anthony breathed out, air seething out of his nostrils. Kate was still clutching onto him, “Kate we’re on the ground now you can open your eyes,” He was tender and gentle rubbing at her arms and prying some distance from her. The patroller went on his tirade scolding Anthony for putting them both in danger.   
“Kate,” Violet said, sliding her skis forward. The poor girl was shaking, all color drained from her face. She seemed to snap back to focus then jerking backward from Anthony, “it’s okay. You’re on the ground now,”  
“We…are never going on that bloody lift again,” Her voice was barely above a whisper.   
Anthony barked out a laugh, “you’re damn right,”  
“Edwina and her lofty ideas,”   
“Perhaps it was in the star charts. Take the old lift, it will not hasten you,”  
It was odd to hear him laugh so hard and so freely. Violet turned to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. He was smiling unabashedly and the sight reminded her of the teenager she’d once known. Together they skied down, leisurely. At the base they were besieged by the family asking a million questions at once managing to only generate noise. Anthony shushed them all handing Kate his poles and taking her skis.   
“I am not answering any of you lot until I am sitting beside the fire with hot chocolate spiked with bailey’s and some goldfish,”  
“Goldfish?”  
Kate’s inquiry was met with a loud chorusing of “it’s tradition!".


	4. Chapter 4

In her twenty-two years of life, the fifth Bridgerton child had been known to be “the nosey one”. Eloise loathed the connotation. It was ill-fitting. Yes, she was an acute people-watcher and detail-orientated and she was intuitive, it was ill-timing that forced her to witness the rather private events that she probably should not be a voyeur too. And tonight it was all Colin and his stupid drinking game’s fault. Feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous, Eloise had vacated her bed in such alcohol absorbing foods to hopefully starve off the hangover that was sure to ensue. In her journey downstairs she passed by her best friend’s door and heard moans. And a name that would scar her. “Oh Colin!”. It was wondrous that she did not puke right there in the hallway. Continuing hurriedly to the kitchen she heard an exclamation of, “MR. BRIDGERTON!”  
Kate who had taken refuge in her room since returning had finally ventured out to grab a glass of water. She’d been hoping that the Bridgertons had all retired as she had not heard any voices or loud footsteps in a long while. She was not expecting to see Anthony to be up, dressed in his pj’s which consisted of a gray shirt and plaid pants, with glasses and having his hand buried deep in the biscuit jar. He clutched the decorative bear to his chest as he turned to face her.  
“Since when am I Mr. Bridgerton?”   
Since, she fell to pieces on that chairlift. Since she had been thinking about the soft way he spoke those soothing words. Since her traitorous mind decided that it liked the smell of his damn cologne. And worst of all, her brain was savoring the few seconds she was encased in his arms. They were safety and security in a situation that had petrified her.   
Instead of answering him she decided to slightly veer the conversation, “I didn't peg you for having a sweet tooth,”  
“I’m full of surprises,” He withdrew a handful of biscuits and began to nibble on one.  
“And a hypocrite,” At the word he stopped mid-bite and narrowed his eyes at her, “you scolded poor Colin for consuming biscuits,”   
Anthony straightened up, “Colin is a vacuum. A bottomless pit I tell you. If I had let him continue on his ravagement there would be no biscuits-  
“For you to eat at three in the morning?”   
He gingerly placed the jar back on the table, “yes precisely,”  
She was coming to learn that Anthony could be mutli-faceted. There was the stern Anthony head of the family who presided over the family at all times. There was the brotherly Anthony who teased and comforted and engaged in competitions. And there were the softer glasses wearing three am Anthony who was gleefully making his way through his fifth biscuit. The softer glasses wearing Anthony hopped onto the kitchen island and stared at her.   
“Are you alright?” The question was so kind and gentle and probing and her traitorous heart skipped a beat.   
“Y-yes. I’m sorry I completely freaked out on the lift-  
He held up a hand stopping her, “fear is an illogical and potent drug,” He offered a biscuit to her and she was cautious not to accidentally brush up against his fingers. She leaned against the counter close enough not to be standoffish.  
“As if you’re irrationally afraid of anything,”  
A flurry of emotions came across his face then. Barely a whisper he said, “bees,”   
Eloise who should have left the moments ago now knew that her eldest brother was afraid of bees. It was a humbling tidbit having thought Anthony was fearful of literally nothing. The thought conjuring up memories of her father made her unsteady and she tumbled forward thudding loudly onto the marble floor of the kitchen. She lifted her head to stare up at Anthony and Kate. Kate who looked concerned and Anthony who looked concerned but mostly annoyed. Despite his visible annoyance he still hopped off the counter and he along with Kate hoisted her to her feet.   
“You’re bloody tankard,” Anthony said aghast.   
“Good evening-morning to you too brother,” Her voice had that airy high-pitched tone that she hated. She hadn’t interrupted them snogging but still she had interrupted something. A charged moment if you will. Her feet unsteady crossed and if not for their arms she would have tumbled again. Without even looking at each other they began to haul her towards the stairs ignoring her cries for food. Their eerie determined silence unnerved her and she began to fill the air with mindless chatter through her mind remained on that moment she had interrupted and without truly intending to, she was talking about Phillip, “and he’s…,”  
Anthony had stopped walking and peered down at her, “whose Phillip?”  
Desperate to save herself and knowing it was equally as shocking she slipped out, “Colin and Pen are shagging!”  
To which Kate gave a gleeful, “yes, finally!” In stark contrast to Anthony’s flat out, “what?!”  
“They’ve been staring at each other since she arrived,” Kate said to his unasked question, “longingly staring!”  
“Colin has?” Anthony tried to rack his brain and remember dinner and the games they had played after dinner. Most of his thoughts had swirled around Kate, rather unfortunately and how he could approach her without being overbearing. He must have missed the reciprocal looks Colin was giving. He’d watched poor Penelope be the bearer of them for years.   
Eloise took their momentary distraction as an opportunity escaped slinking into her room and hurling herself into the covers. She knew Anthony knew she was pretending to sleep but still he dutifully walked over and laid the covers over her. Just as he did when she was young he tucked the sheets tightly around her.  
“Goodnight El,” he whispered, “do not think I will not interrogate you about this Phillip later,”  
The sight before her made her perfidious heart seize. Kate would not deny that the sight of men and children together affected her. Though Eloise was not a child, she was drunk. And from what Kate understood from the meager details that Edwina had provided, the Bridgertons’ father died when they were children. In that moment she knew Anthony had become the father figure to the younger children. He was well practiced and it was gentle the way he brushed back Eloise’s bangs and kissed her forehead. Upon turning and realizing Kate was still standing there, he chuckled nervously and gestured to the door. Kate slithered out and as Anthony closed the door quietly, they both caught sight of Colin tiptoeing down the hallway. Upon seeing them he broke into a brilliant smile. He wiggled his eyebrows at Anthony.  
“For god’s sake get your head out of the gutter!” Anthony uttered exasperated he gestured to Eloise’s door and to their fully dressed states, “I do realize you’ve just left the gutter but this is El’s room,”  
The smirk upon Colin’s face faltered then.   
“And please tell me that you and Penelope are a.) being safe-  
“ANTHONY!” Though Kate couldn’t see in the dark she knew Colin was blushing. His eyes widened.   
Anthony was not alarmed at the distress and paternally continued, “and b.) that you are not using her,”  
“That wounds me,” Colin quipped.   
“Your reputation speaks for you. Penelope has loved you since she realized boys were not icky and she is far too great to be only one of your bedfellows. To use to your pleasure-  
Anthony was not expecting to be hit. Kate observed in horror as he stumbled upon the impact of Colin’s fist. Brothers from what she understood were different. She and Edwina wounded with their sharp tongues and their expressions. Colin and Anthony were coming to physical blows. Kate shuffled to the right of them fearful of quick punches and kicks. Their tumble to the ground rocked the table beside her and Kate sprinted to catch the probably priceless vase that rested upon it. Their fighting drew Violet Bridgerton into the hallway and Penelope peered her auburn hair into the hallway gasping at the sight.  
“BEN!” Violet hollered.   
Benedict arrived then and lunged for Colin, hosting him upward by his middle. Kate was not sure what propelled her forward but she grabbed for Anthony, wedging her body in between their flinging limbs.  
“Are you bloody kidding me?” Ben roared at both of them.   
Colin was not hearing him. He spat out instead, “you’re not dad!”  
The comment froze Anthony. So quietly and defeated he mumbled, “I know,”  
She doubted anyone was supposed to hear the comment at all. Violet ambled into the middle of her sons, head whipping back and forth between them, disappointment in her expression. She ordered them all to bed and no one thought to question or protest or linger.


	5. Chapter 5

Violet, in the past thirty years of motherhood, had much practice at mediating fights. From pea fights to violent words to punches, she was experienced. Though she summoned Benedict too, heaven forbid it came to blows again. In her antechamber, on the east and west sides respectively, stood her thirty-year-old son supporting a swollen lip and her twenty-five-year-old, with a shiner. Both glaring daggers at one another.  
In her most affirmative voice she tore into them, “I have never been more embarrassed and disappointed-  
Her words were immediately muffled by protests and attempted explanations. She silenced them with her steely glare. Firmly she told them, “I do not care who is at fault. You are brothers and if you were actual children I’d knock your heads together and lock you in the game room,”  
“Anthony is a hypocrite mother,” Colin yelled, “lecturing me on the idea of monogamy and…,” his mother’s glacial glare silenced him.   
“As you are adults or so your bloody ages led me to believe. I expect for this not to be repeated,”  
With that cold remark, Violet Bridgerton dismissed them. Anthony felt as though he was fifteen again being scolded for sneaking liquor from the cabinets. At least then he’d been properly buzzed and unable to process the looks and the words upon his parents’ faces. He was not focusing much on what was in front of him so Kate standing in the hallway outside of the kitchen with granola bars in hands and decked out in her under layer of ski wear, startled him. He jumped, clasping a hand to his chest.   
She grinned, “please tell me you are not going to have a heart attack old man,”  
Anthony straightened out ignoring the thunderous beating of his heart, “I am not old and I assure you I am the picture of health,”  
He took the offered granola bar. She was bouncing on between her toes and her heels. Her ski boots clanking on the marble floor. He had noticed on the chairlift that she was a constant flurry of movement. Being stuck upon the lift must have been hell for her. Her quickening movements were precursors to her bursting with something to say. It was childish but he found he enjoyed it. He imagined she was full of energy before her students.   
“So are we racing tod…?” her last words mumbled off at the arrival of Edwina. Her face was souring when Anthony accepted her peak on the cheek. It seemed she was now remembering that she was the disapproving older sister.   
“So Anthony I was thinking,” Edwina said, “after your incident on the ski lift, I thought perhaps you may not be up to revisiting the mountains,” Anthony tried to mold his face into an impassive expression. He had not been so unnerved by the lift experience and apparently neither was Kate because she was in the midst of proposing a race, “that maybe you and I could go snowshoeing?” She held up the aforementioned snowshoes and wiggled them. Snowshoeing, he was sure, was a sport that required endurance, it was not a sport he ever wished to partake in. He’d seen snowshoers in the sides of the mountains as he glided past them. There was no speed or agility, just straight up climbing the mountain.  
“That does sound like a nice alternative,” He was lying through his teeth, but Edwina seemed not to notice. Kate tried to hide a snort behind a cough.  
“Kate did you want to come with?” Edwina asked sweetly, “I’m afraid I only picked up two pairs but I’m sure we can get a third!”  
“Oh no Ed. I think I’d rather hit the slopes,”  
Edwina clutched onto her sister’s arm, “are you sure you’re okay? I’m sorry I suggested-  
“Edwina for the last time. Neither Anthony nor I blame you for the malfunction of the lift,” Kate wrapped an arm around her petite sister’s shoulders, “and the odds are slim it’ll happen again. So you and Anthony, enjoy your snowshoeing. I’ll see you later,”  
***  
Kate was almost certain she was still speaking English but by the manner in which the Bridgerton siblings kept asking her to repeat herself she thought maybe she had lapsed into French or something. She shifted on the gondola’s bench seat and for the sixth time told them what Anthony and Edwina were doing instead of skiing.  
“This is marvelous,” Colin said, “do you perhaps know the exact route they’re taking?”  
“No I did not stay to inquire,”  
“Daff do you have a map? You always have a map,”  
“Since when have I carried a map?”  
“Aren’t you the responsible one?”  
“I beg to differ,” Eloise interrupted, “I think I am quite responsible,” she ignored the snorts and chuckles her remark caused, “nonetheless Colin I do not think any of us have carried a map in nearly a decade. We know the mountain by heart,”  
Colin turned desperately to Pen. It was the first time either had interacted with each other since the disaster the night before. Their poorly concealed relationship was now universally known and both were too humiliated to try to speak to one another. And then there was Penelope and Eloise who were sitting on opposite ends of the gondola seats; Eloise by the window and Penelope by the sliding doors.   
“Sorry,” the redhead squeaked, “didn’t think I’d need one with you all,”  
The lack of a map led them all to ski to the base of the mountain where Colin raced into the main lodge. He returned with a fistfull of maps and began to interrogate his siblings as to all of the places they had spotted snowshoe persons before. With a tiny golf pencil that for some inexplicable reason was in Gregory’s pocket, he marked down each trail, laughing maniacally at his hypothetical revenge. The majority of his siblings were not as enthused at the thought of only going down certain trails in search of their eldest brother. Kate was not sure why she agreed, but she joined the group of Colin, Penelope and Hyacinth. Hyacinth who was keen enough to realize something had happened was out of the loop but Kate suspected she was desperate to be included and to be seen as older than her eleven years. Though a smaller age gap existed between her and Edwina, five years, Edwina was much the same.   
“Col?” Hyacinth asked as she leaned forward on the lift, “what do you plan to do if we come across Edwina and Anthony?” Suddenly serious, she added on, “you best not do something to Edwina. She is pretty and kind,”  
“Rest assured Hy I would not dream of incurring any sort of harm to dear Edwina, Scout’s honor,”  
“You were never a scout!”  
“Hy I was alive for some fourteen years before you came along. How would you know?”  
“I asked Mama. She said only Anthony was a scout,”  
Colin grumbled something along the lines of he could have been a scout. Kate was amusingly picturing Anthony in a scouting uniform. For some reason she thought he must have been a serious child. Oh why was she spending time contemplating this? She was going to see Edwina more in her element.  
***  
Edwina was in her element. Anthony was decisively not. He was sweating underneath his layers and his calves ached underneath the strain of climbing up a mountain. He was also deeply envious of all those skiing down past them. In front of him by some ten feet Edwina was posing to take another selfie. Endless photos she took. Endless. She was obsessively updating snapchat and instagram. For some part of the hike she went live and he begrudgingly took place in. If they were to grow serious, he reasoned, he should partake in her updates.   
“Are you alright?” Edwina called down.   
He had tried to quicken his pace but his legs screamed in protest at the hurried movements. She seemed not to notice. A part of him was slightly offended. He had slowed down considerably to remain with her yesterday and she could not repay him with the same consideration. He feigned an answer of, “just peachy!”  
When he reached her, she was taking pictures of the scenery, utilizing a filter that brought out the greenness of the trees.   
“Isn’t this just lovely? Instead of gliding past all of this scenery, we’re enjoying it!”  
Anthony hummed in agreement though he only half-agreed with her. He always admired the beauty of the mountains and the serenity they offered. But still he preferred to be atop skis and take pause on lifts and gondolas.   
***  
Eloise was not particularly paying attention to the conversation at the lunch table. She was instead flipping through the screenshots of her last conversation with Phillip and chewing upon her lip. It was why she did not hear the stomping of little ski boots approaching her until they called out her name. She looked up to be greeted by two identical mischievous glares of Amanda and Oliver. Both had ski school bibs of green pulled over their coats.   
“Eloise!” they said in unison.   
Their cry immediately silenced the conversation at the table. Benedict, Francesca, John, Simon and Daphne all turned to stare at her, intrigue in their eyes. No, no, no, no, no. Eloise glared around the room searching for him. Had he ever said he skied? Surely she would have remembered that.   
“Eloise,” Daphne said when Eloise did not respond, “who are these adorable little munchkins?”  
Eloise found her voice then, “these are Amanda and Oliver Crane,” her mind was spiraling, “I did some tutoring at the local Montessori school near the university and they were some of my students,” She glared at them hoping the two little monsters for once would not cause her grief. They owed her. She had taken blame for their last prank. They just seemed befuddled by her outright lie, that they just stared at her oddly. Eloise swung her legs out from under the table and took each in hand. She had to force herself to keep gripping onto their sticky hands. Once safely out of earshot from noisey siblings she bent down so that the twins’ rounded faces were above her own, “is your Uncle here?”  
“Why did you lie? Isn’t lying wrong?” Oliver said in a falsely sweet voice. Amanda solemnly nodded her head in agreement.   
“Sometimes as an adult you can lie,” Eloise said knowing she was only implanting more wickedness for them, “is your Uncle Phillip here?”  
“No,” they said with a twinge of sadness. Oh Phillip, Eloise thought, why can’t you see that half of their antics are to garner your attention?   
“Okay. I’ll allow you one lie,” she told them, “do not tell your Uncle you saw me. Now c’mon back to your ski group,”  
At the table, the remaining Bridgerton and company were aptly watching Eloise. While a kind older sister she had never been keen on children. So the news that she had been voluntarily tutoring at University was in their opinion most surely a lie. They had instead been trying to think of other reasons why Eloise might know two small children. Daphne guessed that the pair could not be much older than five.


	6. Chapter 6

Anthony heard the cackling before he saw them. The hyena sort of laughter made him stop abruptly in his tracks and stand rimrod straight. He glanced upward and noticed Elosie’s blindly bright outfit. Before he could brace himself he was coated in snow. He resembled a very angry snowman. He could justify why Colin had decided to dust him, but Eloise had no reason he could think of. Hyacinth and Kate were last and they came to stop beside them.  
“You told them?” he barked at her.  
“I did not think it was some sort of secret,” With her pole she pointed at his chest, “you’ve got-  
“Very funny,”  
Edwina had descended then and began to gently brush snow off him. Her hands trailing from the tops of his shoulders to his chest, to his abdomen and abruptly they yanked away before they reached anything below his stomach. She turned to Kate then, quickly asking about the snow conditions. Kate was answering her but her dark eyes were narrowed at him. Suspecting and accusing all at once. The odd movement not lost upon her.  
“Do you think you and Colin are good now?” Hyacinth questioned breaking the silence that had befallen them.  
“Who said Colin and I were anything but good?”  
Hyacinth cast her eyes downward, “I might have heard mother and Benedict talking,”  
“Heard or eavesdropped?”  
Kate admired Hyacinth. The youngest girl was of an age with her students. She was witty. And she did not enjoy the way Hyacinth was shrinking underneath Anthony’s glare.  
“Heard. We both heard,” Kate interrupted. Anthony and Hyacinth’s heads snapped to her. Identical faces full of confusion greeted her, “none of you Bridgertons are quiet. Hyacinth and I heard them talking about the incident while we enjoyed some waffles isn’t that right?”  
Hyacinth did not lose a step and began to nod in agreeance, “a huh.We both had blueberry waffles. They’re Kate’s favorites too,”  
That tidbit was decisively false. Her favorites were chocolate and Edwina knew it. Her sister smirked at her but said nothing to contradict the statement. Anthony mumbled something underneath his breath but Kate and Hyacinth skied off following after Eloise and Colin.  
Anthony watched their retreating forms thinking it highly likely that Colin would try the tactic again. Five years separated them in years. And sometimes it was really hard to remember that. He had good friends and persons he considered peers that age. Hell, Edwina was three years younger than Colin. But to him, Colin was still that almost thirteen-year-old boy, who despite losing his father at the cusp of one of the hardest times in one’s life, was trying to joke around and get others to laugh. He looked remarkably like Gregory but Gregory was only an echo. Gregory was lighthearted and his shoulders did not hunch nor did he carry anger and grief within him. Colin was charming and handsome as Lady W described but they seemingly could not detect the amount of anger that resided within him.  
They were both still a bit drunk the night of the fight. Drinking did little to siphon either of their tempers. The quick draw temper was shared by Eloise and a bit by Hyacinth. Benedict, Daff, Frannie and Gregory were more private and reserved. As much as he loathed to admit that he could be impulsive at times, and a certain singer flashed bitterly into mind, it was a truth that could be verified.  
It was Ben’s words in the aftermath of the fight that gave him pause. He isn’t a child, Ben said. But to Anthony, anyone younger than Ben was his responsibility.  
****  
Much to the chargin of her children, Violet insisted upon a family game night. Initially her only supporters were the Sharmas, and her two youngest. The Bridgertons were game affectionados and their game room in both their residence in London and at the mountain was brimming with games of all sorts. Edwina, as the guest of honor, was sent to pick a game from the closet. The overwhelming amount of choices gave her pause. The Sharmas had played in game night occasionally but truly their family time came at dinnertime when they nightly watched Jeopardy and shouted at the telly their answers to the questions. Her hesitation made her call Kate into the room.  
“Help me,” she whispered to her sister. Kate’s eyebrow was raised, “this feels like it's important and heaven forbid I pick the-  
“Alright, alright,”  
“I want to impress Anthony,”  
“Ed. I still-  
“I do not want to hear another tirade of how he’s wrong for me. So please Kate, just help me pick a bloody game,”  
Kate stared at her sister. It was not often that Edwina cursed. Curses usually only came under duress or when inebriated or when in a great deal of pain. Stress seemed to be the indicator here. Kate took to the stacks of board games, surveying each with great pause and giving Edwina time to compose herself. Kate’s slim fingers scanned across each box settling upon a game she had never seen before, The Mexican Train Game. It was encased in a wooden briefcase and was well-worn. She surmised it was a Bridgerton favorite, though oddly enough, it rested atop a bunch of games but it was coated in a healthy covering of dust. Childish doodles were drawn on the case. She pried it out to see that it involved dominoes and handed it to Edwina, who stared at it like it was about to sprout legs and teeth and bit her.  
“We don’t know how to play this!”  
“Relax!” Kate said opening the clasp to show the dominoes, “we know how to play dominoes. All domino games adhere to at least a few of the same rules,”  
The sisters left the game room and approached the dinning room where the other Bridgertons, under careful eye of their mother, still loomed. Most of dinner had been collected. The Bridgertons of age were sipping at mulled wine and not for the first time did Kate marvel at their marked resemblances. It was even more prudent with their windburned cheeks. Benedict who was in the midst of a story was the first to notice them, he cut his story short and addressed them,“And what game have you picked Miss. Sharma?”  
Edwina who always found comfort in the spotlight seemed to bask in the attention of nine pairs of eyes bearing down on her. She smiled that pretty smile and held out The Mexican Train Game. But it’s presentation did not have the desired effect they had been hoping for. The stark opposite of jubilation overfell the room. Almost all air and life was sucked from it. Benedict who had been smiling was frowning now. He was reaching a hand out to clasp his mother’s hand. Violet was still, the wine glass still hovering near her lips. The only ones who seemed to be unaware of why such a reaction had occurred were the Sharmas, Simon, and Michael.Kate then remembered the dust. How it had coated her fingers. How foolish could she have been? If it were truly a cherished game why would they allow it to fall to such disuse?  
She felt her mouth going dry. She hated standing in front of adults and addressing them. Students she could manage but peers were a whole other can of worms but she’d do it for Edwina’s sake.  
“I picked the game,” she uttered, “Edwina wanted to play…,” and suddenly her mind was blank. What was another board game? What if she picked another game that would make them sadder? She bite on her lip.  
Anthony whose firm grasp on the wine container had not eased spoke up, “we’ll play,”  
All heads turned sharply to him. This was not the answer any of them were expecting. He gulped down the rest of his wine and wiped his lips with his sleeves. He came to stand by them, kissing the top of Edwina’s head and taking the case from her. His fingers grazed over the case gently and he stared at it looking as if he might crumble. It was that expression that told Kate that this game had been one that the late Mr. Bridgerton enjoyed playing. The favorite had been placed and abandoned at the top shelf because they could not bear ridding themselves of it. Anthony sat it in the middle and began to methodically pour out the dominoes and he sat the hub in the center of the table.  
“In order to start the game,” Anthony choked out, “we need to find the double twelve domino,”  
It was Francesca who broke the silence. She leaned over the table and began to wildly grab at the dominoes. The sound of them clanking against the wood echoed around them and suddenly pairs of hands were overturning faded dominoes searching for the illusive piece. Eloise found it shrieking that she was to go first. The rules to the game were confusing and it did not help that six Bridgertons were talking at once trying to explain and contradicting one another on strategies. Violet intervened saying that she would explain the rules as they played.  
The player to the left of the player who put down the highest double starts and players then take turns in a clockwise direction. Eloise started triumphantly. The player starts their 'train' by putting their first domino into their chosen slot on the hub. The end pointing towards the middle must match the central hub domino. They then continue to extend this 'train' by adding more dominoes from their hand until they can't put down any more.  
Kate found herself very confused and also very annoyed at Anthony’s cockiness. He set up his dominoes in a menacing position and his dark eyes glazed over each of his siblings. To her greatest frustration he only possessed two dominoes left whereas her dominoes numbered ten. She had to keep picking up more and more of them due to her inability to play. Edwina and Daphne were fairing just as well.  
And then he finished. With a score of 0. Kate was left to count all of the dots on her dominoes. The process was interrupted twice by others counting aloud. Violet was the scorekeeper and was writing down each of their scores.  
“One hundred and two,” Kate said and tried to ignore Anthony trying not to laugh.  
“Uh Kate,” Gregory said looking as if he did not want to say anything at all but he was being nudged in the elbow by Colin, “do you have the double blank one?”  
“Yes why?”  
Her answer caused Anthony to break out into cackling laughter. It sounded exactly like Colin’s laughter from earlier in the day.  
Daphne took pity, “The double blank counts for fifty,”  
“Fifty!” Kate stared murderously down at the host, “you said having the blank was good!”  
“In a pinch, yes. But at the end absolutely not,”  
“You never explained!”  
“Better luck next round you’ll need it. Mother, I do think Kate’s score is actually one hundred and fifty-two,”  
It was a blessing she was not sitting next to him for she would have kicked him. Violet smiled apologetically at her as she crossed out the score and wrote the newer one. The dominoes were returned to the middle. And everyone was grabbing at them. The Bridgertons without knowing what the value of the dominoes were, ripped them out of each other’s grasps. Edwina was polite and waited but Kate was determined and she yanked two right out from underneath Colin and Benedict’s fingers. Edwina looked at her appalled, her wide-eyed expression saying what are you doing?  
“They’re all grabbing at each other’s!” Kate squeaked in defense.  
Colin, to her surprise, came to her defense, “she is playing with the true spirit of a Bridgerton,”  
The compliment made Kate blush. She was thankful in that moment for the low lighting and for her darker complexion. Edwina was fairer and her complexion betrayed her embarrassment. The third Bridgerton son beamed at her. It was nice being considered having their spirit. Save for the eldest member and the fist fight the other insight, they seemed a loving and happy bunch. She took a moment to look at the matriarch. Violet was not playing the game but was rather staring wistically at them. Her cheeks and chest flushed from her intake of wine. She was an admirable woman.  
Kate hadn’t asked how long ago Mr. Bridgerton had passed away. It felt too personal a question to ask. Instead she turned to Google. Finding his obituary still preserved in the archives of the Kent Gazette, for he had died on the grounds. Though not from any sort of skiing incident. He died in the middle of the summer months where the only snow was well above the snowline. Beloved father and husband, died unexpectedly. The vagueness of it all piqued her morbid curiosity. It was not illness that claimed him. Was it a car accident? Or something more?  
More heartbreakingly was the “survived by his wife, Violet 37 of nineteen years and his children. Sons Anthony 18, Benedict 16, Colin 12, and Gregory 2 and daughters Daphne 11, Eloise 9, and Francesca 8. There was no mention of Hyacinth, she was born afterwards. To compare, she found her own father’s obituary, Magan Sharma, 49 died after a valiant battle with lung cancer. She cried herself to sleep.  
In the moment, watching her children play the game, Kate knew she was reliving moments past of playing the same game with Mr. Bridgerton. She had learned his name was Edmund but it felt improper to address him as such.  
“It’s your turn,” Anthony said, jarring her from thinking about his deceased father. In a tour she asked Hyacinth to give her she found a few portraits of who could only be Edmund. Benedict looked the most like him, but Colin had his smile and his dark eyes were precisely the same shape and color of Anthony’s. The same eyes that were imploring her to place a domino or take one from the boneyard. What was wrong with her? Why did her thoughts keep falling upon him? The most infuriating man ever and not to mention her sister’s boyfriend?


End file.
